Dana White gives his take on if Conor McGregor could’ve beaten Khabib Nurmagomedov before fame and fortune

The rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor refuses to fade. Years after their infamous 2018 clash at UFC 229, both men still take public shots, keeping the feud alive long after Nurmagomedov’s retirement.

When asked if McGregor would have fared better against 'The Eagle' before the fame and fortune, UFC CEO Dana White dismissed the idea. He said the version of McGregor that fought Nurmagomedov was motivated, disciplined, and driven by genuine hatred for his rival.

According to White, McGregor trained hard and did everything possible to win that night. Speaking in a recent episode of Delivering Happiness on Prince St. Pizza's YouTube channel, White said:

"No, I think that... Conor wanted to win that fight bad. So yeah, you know, I think Conor trained hard and did all the right things to win that fight."

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Check out Dana White's comments below (13:30):

A lot was made about McGregor’s motivation heading into the Nurmagomedov fight. After earning a multi-million-dollar paycheck from the Floyd Mayweather boxing bout, many questioned if he still had the same hunger.

McGregor entered UFC 229 as one of the richest athletes in the sport, but critics felt his focus had shifted from fighting to fame. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, reignited the rivalry recently by calling his fight experience with McGregor a “vacation."

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Khabib Nurmagomedov says beating Conor McGregor felt like a vacation

Khabib Nurmagomedov still looks back at his win over Conor McGregor as one of the most satisfying moments of his career. The former UFC undefeated lightweight champion dominated McGregor at UFC 229 to secure a fourth-round submission before chaos erupted in the post-fight brawl.

Years later, 'The Eagle' described the bout as pure enjoyment, saying it felt like a long-awaited vacation after years of rivalry. Speaking at a media event in Chicago, he said:

"One thing is really, really beautiful in this world. When you don't like somebody, you go inside the cage, you smash him, and they give you money. Outside of the cage, if you do this, you go to jail. I was waiting for this moment for so long. I could not only fight, but also talk to him. I used that moment to enjoy, the way like you go to Maldives. It was my vacation."

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar